%alta%

a. [ Cf. F. altaïque. ] Of or pertaining to the Altai, a mountain chain in Central Asia. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a collective term for a group of related linguistic families including the Turkic, Tungusik and Mongolian languages, spoken over a broad area from southeastern Europe and Asia, as far east as the Pacific. [ PJC ]

n. [ OE. alter, auter, autier, fr. L. altare, pl. altaria, altar, prob. fr. altus high: cf. OF. alter, autier, F. autel. Cf. Altitude. ] 1. A raised structure (as a square or oblong erection of stone or wood) on which sacrifices are offered or incense burned to a deity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Noah builded an altar unto the Lord. Gen. viii. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the Christian church, a construction of stone, wood, or other material for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; the communion table. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Altar is much used adjectively, or as the first part of a compound; as, altar bread or altar-bread. [ 1913 Webster ]

Altar cloth or
Altar-cloth, the cover for an altar in a Christian church, usually richly embroidered. --
Altar cushion, a cushion laid upon the altar in a Christian church to support the service book. --
Altar frontal. See Frontal. --
Altar rail, the railing in front of the altar or communion table. --
Altar screen, a wall or partition built behind an altar to protect it from approach in the rear. --
Altar tomb, a tomb resembling an altar in shape, etc. --
Family altar, place of family devotions. --
To lead (as a bride) to the altar, to marry; -- said of a woman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. auterage, autelage. ] 1. The offerings made upon the altar, or to a church. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The profit which accrues to the priest, by reason of the altar, from the small tithes. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a boy who assists a priest at the clebration of the Holy Mass and other forms of public worship; -- also called acolyte. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. LL. altarista, F. altariste. ] (Old Law) (a) A chaplain. (b) A vicar of a church. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The painting or piece of sculpture above and behind the altar; reredos. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the proper position of an altar, that is, at the east of a church with its ends towards the north and south. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Alltude + azimuth. ] (Astron.) An instrument for taking azimuths and altitudes simultaneously. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. exaltatus, p. p. of exaltare to exalt. ] (Astrol.) Exercising its highest influence; -- said of a planet. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. exaltatio: cf. F.exaltation. ] 1. The act of exalting or raising high; also, the state of being exalted; elevation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wondering at my flight, and change
To this high exaltation. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Alchem.) The refinement or subtilization of a body, or the increasing of its virtue or principal property. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Astrol.) That place of a planet in the zodiac in which it was supposed to exert its strongest influence. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Med.) An abnormal sense of personal well-being, power, or importance, -- a symptom observed in various forms of insanity. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. A strongly fortified town on the south coast of Spain, held by the British since 1704; hence, an impregnable stronghold. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. A kind of candy sweetmeat, or a piece of it; -- called, in full, Gibraltar rock. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. A country on the island of Malta. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. An island south of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Med.) An infectious disease contracted from meat or milk products from infected domestic animals; called also brucellosis and undulant fever. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. See Malice, and Talent. ] Ill will; malice. [ Obs. ] Rom. of R. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biochem.) An enzyme, α-D-glucosidase, which hydrolyzes maltose with production of glucose, and also hydrolyzes certain other α-D-glucosides. [ PJC ]

a. [ L. saltans, p. pr. of saltare to dance, v. intens. fr. salire to leap: cf. F. sautant. See Sally, v. ] 1. Leaping; jumping; dancing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) In a leaping position; springing forward; -- applied especially to the squirrel, weasel, and rat, also to the cat, greyhound, monkey, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. See Saltarello. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It., fr. L. saltare to jump. ] A popular Italian dance in quick 3-4 or 6-8 time, running mostly in triplets, but with a hop step at the beginning of each measure. See Tarantella. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ See Saltant. ] To leap or dance. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. saltatio: cf. F. saltation. ] 1. A leaping or jumping. [ 1913 Webster ]

Continued his saltation without pause. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Beating or palpitation; as, the saltation of the great artery. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Biol.) An abrupt and marked variation in the condition or appearance of a species; a sudden modification which may give rise to new races. [ 1913 Webster ]

We greatly suspect that nature does make considerable jumps in the way of variation now and then, and that these saltations give rise to some of the gaps which appear to exist in the series of known forms. Huxley. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A division of Orthoptera including grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Relating to leaping; saltatory; as, saltatorial exercises. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) Same as Saltatorious. (b) Of or pertaining to the Saltatoria. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of leaping; formed for leaping; saltatory; as, a saltatorious insect or leg. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. saltatorius. See Saltant, and cf. Saltire. ] Leaping or dancing; having the power of, or used in, leaping or dancing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Saltatory evolution (Biol.), a theory of evolution which holds that the transmutation of species is not always gradual, but that there may come sudden and marked variations. See Saltation. --
Saltatory spasm (Med.), an affection in which pressure of the foot on a floor causes the patient to spring into the air, so as to make repeated involuntary motions of hopping and jumping. J. Ross. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of exalting one's self, or the state of being so exalted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) A raised shelf or stand on the back of an altar, on which different objects can be placed; a predella or gradino. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Elevation above the common degree. Holyday. [ 1913 Webster ]